oysters prepared with sabayon sauce and sea beans presented on a bed of sea salt

Oysters with Caviar, Compressed Sea Beans, and Champagne Sabayon

AdvancedAdvanced

Oysters prepared sous vide make for a spectacular start to a special fête.

Ingredients

Oysters:

12 fresh oysters
2 Tbsp white wine

Sabayon Sauce & Sea Beans:

4 egg yolks, beaten
1 Tbsp clarified butter (ghee)
4 tsp shallots, finely chopped
⅛ tsp black peppercorn, cracked
½ C Champagne
½ C sea beans (substitute with thinly sliced caperberry or asparagus, or omit)
½ Tbsp olive oil
Lemon wedges, to garnish
Caviar, to garnish

Overview

Equipment

  • Sous vide circulator
  • Sous vide pouches
  • Vacuum sealer
  • Aluminum foil
  • Bowl with ice
  • Oyster knife
  • Kitchen towel
  • Small bowl
  • Fine mesh cloth or cheese cloth
  • Small saucepan
  • Bowl
  • Hand blender

Timing

Prepping time: 15 minutes / Cooking time: 35 minutes (excludes sous vide cooking)

Servings

4

Directions

For the Oysters:

  1. Set circulator to 181°F (83°C).
  2. Wash and scrub the oyster shells and pat dry.
  3. Wrap the oysters together in aluminum foil and lay as flatly and evenly as possible in a sous vide pouch. Add white wine and seal.
  4. Cook in water bath for 7 minutes, then remove and let cool at room temperature for 10 minutes. Chill in ice until ready to serve.
  5. Rinse, clean and carefully open the shells, separating the oyster from the shell.
  6. Pass the oyster jus, from the shell, through a fine mesh and reserve for the sabayon sauce.

For the Sabayon:

  1. Set circulator to 145°F (63°C).
  2. In a small saucepan over high heat, reduce Champagne, cracked black pepper, oyster jus, and chopped shallots, about 10 minutes. Then remove from heat.
  3. Once cooled, add the beaten egg yolks and clarified butter. Mix, then transfer to a sous vide pouch and seal.
  4. Cook in water bath for 45 minutes to pasteurize the egg.
  5. Before serving, pour the sauce into a bowl and mix with a hand blender for up to a minute.
  6. Squeeze a few lemon wedges into the blender in the final few seconds before you stop blending. Set aside.
  7. Next, lay the sea beans as flat and evenly as possible in a sous-vide pouch with olive oil and seal. Allow to compress for two hours, or overnight.

To Serve:

On a bed of sea salt, carefully set the cleaned oyster shells as flat as possible. Add a small amount of the sea beans, then place the chilled fresh oyster and a top with a spoonful of the sabayon sauce. Garnish with caviar and freshly squeezed lemon. Serve immediately.

Developed by the chefs of Cuisine Solutions and CREA. Featured in Sous-Vide magazine Fall/Winter 2018.

Buy the Magazine

Buy Now

Dedicated to the Art & Science of Sous Vide

The first publication devoted to the art and science of sous vide cooking, featuring innovative recipes, visual inspiration, expert techniques for cooking sous vide at home, and exclusive interviews with world-class chefs.